Southwest - Epic Phoenix ride suggestion ASAP plesae

I've got 1 day, (tomorrow) to ride all day. Looking for epic ride 85-160 miles anywhere out of Phoenix area. I am staying at I17 & Dunlap but I will ride or drive from here wherever. I was thinking of riding to Payson and back but heard the road (Beeline) sucks. I am planning to be on the road at daylight. Thanks.

Geez, I can't believe no PHX peeps are chimming in! Although to be fair, this section gets little traffic.

I live north, up in the Verde Valley so I can't be of much help.

Best I can recommend is this:

Find Yarnell on a map, you'll get there through Wickenburg. Park your car anywhere, and ride north. You'll warm up past beautiful pasture lands filled with horses, then have one of the best climbs in the state, w/lots of curves and a wicked descent!

Bring an extra layer, it's cooler up there.

Sorry I can't help with the city stuff, but this ride is fantastic.

thanks for the reply, what if i drive to wickyburg and ride to prescott and back to wickenburg.
how is that road? idont really actually want to stay in the city... id rather get out into the middle of no where.

i have ridden from 67th/bell in glendale to wickenburg, but didnt enjoy it too much.


funny i did not even bother bringing anything other than shorts and bibs ...

I don't get down to Wickenburg much, only on the MC. It pretty flat and featureless, more highway like. It doesn't get sweet until below Yarnell (and you'll see what I mean by below if you watch the horizon as you approach). I'd at least go to the start of 89. That will also give you a good climb into Yarnell, up the face of a cliff like mountain.

Keep in mind, you're going up to nearly 5800Ft in elevation. You might want to sneak out tonight and buy an Underarmour layer at the local Dick's Sporting Goods or Sports Chalet... they are like the plague in PHX!

If you need to add mileage, consider going all the way into Prescott, and then down Iron Springs road into Skull Valley and Kirkland Junction... that is a loop that will aim you right back down the hill, but you'll trade the fast snaking descent of 89 for the flowing sweepers of I.S. road.

awesome thanks a lot for the explanation.. now if i can get up on time!!1

Oh it's worth getting up! You'll ride thru Saguaro cactus and into the pines... you want to go back to Jersey with a smile stuck on your face, don't you? :thumb:

thanks for the replies

I went to bed early and was on the road starting from Congress at 8am. I cheated a little by starting in Congress because I wanted to get back to Congress by 2pm to get the rental back by 4pm... guess what, it didn't happen!!!! I am not sure if it was a combination of the wind, the hills, my 23 rental pound bike (excuses!), me being out of shape or what but it took me FOREVER!!!! Nice roads, light traffic, but the wind was killer!!! It took me longer from Prescott back toCongress than coming up the hill!! Also you were right about it being cold!!! I had full fingered gloves, long sleeve base layer+jersey and shorts and I was frigid.

I got back and was thinking it was a 95 mile ride(it took like, 6.5 hours), because the signs in Congress said 48 miles to Prescott, but when I did the exact starting to exact end point and back, it was only 84!!!! Agggh! I only avg'd maybe 13 mph!!!!

Good times....

Ha ha, I was wondering if you were out in that wind! I headed out around 1:00 for a 30 miles loop and it just pounded me to death! If you did Congress to Prescott in that, you did well!

Still better than January in Jersey!

when i got home i looked at weather.com, it said it was 45 in prescott, and in the various towns it said wind was only 12 MPH.... not sure how much damage 12mph could do. we really do not have any wind in NJ, so i am not used to it. the lack of speedo, and even HRM or anything threw me off a little. i think that congress is at about 2000 ft, and the highest point i noticed was 6100 ft, but i am curious, with all of the ups and downs, what the total elevation gain is throughout the round trip. thanks for the good tip. brought back the bike this morning so im on foot for the rest of the week :)

so do you live in sedona?

Arizona ain't Jersey!
We have long stretches of open road, mountains and big changes in temp/elevation.
Have descended Yarnell Hill, into a headwind, on our tandem and still topped just over 50 mph . . . coasting!

thanks for the replies

I went to bed early and was on the road starting from Congress at 8am. I cheated a little by starting in Congress because I wanted to get back to Congress by 2pm to get the rental back by 4pm... guess what, it didn't happen!!!! I am not sure if it was a combination of the wind, the hills, my 23 rental pound bike (excuses!), me being out of shape or what but it took me FOREVER!!!! Nice roads, light traffic, but the wind was killer!!! It took me longer from Prescott back toCongress than coming up the hill!! Also you were right about it being cold!!! I had full fingered gloves, long sleeve base layer+jersey and shorts and I was frigid.

I got back and was thinking it was a 95 mile ride(it took like, 6.5 hours), because the signs in Congress said 48 miles to Prescott, but when I did the exact starting to exact end point and back, it was only 84!!!! Agggh! I only avg'd maybe 13 mph!!!!

Good times....
I love the Prescott to Phoenix loop. Lots of climbing. Elevation change 1200 feet to 6100 feet in a 100 miles. You would have liked the Payson route nice wide shoulders and even more climbing.